Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Ireland's national action plan in regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1325, on women, peace and security, was officially launched in November 2011. The plan sets out how Ireland will promote and implement the objectives of UNSCR 1325 in its programme support activities, diplomatic advocacy and policy-making across the interrelated areas of peace, security and development.

By adopting a national action plan, we have made a firm commitment to listen to the voices of women affected by conflict. To this end, the plan aims to strengthen women's leadership and implement accountability mechanisms, to reinforce institutional capacities through comprehensive training of staff deployed overseas and to support programmes to promote women's participation in peacebuilding, post-conflict transition and related activities. The plan also commits Ireland to use its involvement in global and regional fora to champion the implementation of UNSCR 1325.

The plan contains a number of provisions for monitoring and evaluation. These are important in ensuring that the national action plan is a living document which serves the goal of effective implementation of UNSCR 1325 and related UN obligations on women, peace and security. The plan provides for the formation of a monitoring group to oversee progress on implementation. This group will consist of representatives from all relevant Departments as well as members of civil society and the academic community with expertise in the field. It will meet every six months under an independent chair.

Officials from my Department will meet with key representatives from civil society next week to discuss the formation of the monitoring group and the appointment of an independent chair. I look forward to productive discussions in that format and to effective cooperation among all relevant stakeholders, both inside and outside government, in support of implementation of the national action plan. Issues relating to women, peace and security will continue to be an important area of work for my Department.

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